by Vivian Arend
“She likes us,” Lisa said apologetically, snuggling against him but keeping one hand free to stroke Ollie’s back. “She likes us maybe a little bit too much.”
“It’s kind of like hero worship,” he agreed.
“Last night I’m sure she understood every word I said when I told her you weren’t coming over. We should send in a picture of her face and get Merriam-Webster to make her an example of what puppy dog eyes means. It was as if she desperately wanted to tell me something, and I just couldn’t understand.”
“Did she let you sleep?” he asked. “That’s what I want to know, because the days I’ve had her, the only way I could get her to stop pacing was to give her that T-shirt you wore. I put it on the foot of the bed, because otherwise she kept getting up and going to the door, as if waiting for you to appear.”
Lisa laughed, twisting toward him. “Get out. I had to pull on that second shirt you lent me before she’d quiet down last night.”
Wonderful. They had a stalker dog to deal with on top of the lack-of-privacy issue. “How are you doing otherwise? You get any more ideas added to your adventure book?”
“I should’ve added ‘fool around on a porch swing.’ And would’ve, if I’d known how much fun it was.”
Josiah moved cautiously, giving Ollie time to rearrange herself at the foot of the swing. He tugged Lisa on top of him, groaning softly as her weight settled on his aching cock. “It’s even more fun in the summertime. Fewer clothes—”
“More mosquitoes, same number of snoopy visitors.”
She cupped her hands around his face and kissed him. Long and luscious, tongues tangling, and while it wasn’t what he’d been craving, it was nice to realize what they were doing was unique.
He’d had his share of love affairs, one-night stands, and short-term flings. He’d always treated the ladies right and he’d always tried to go whatever speed they were comfortable with.
For the first time in his life, it seemed both he and Lisa would’ve been comfortable going a whole hell of a lot faster if time and circumstance weren’t getting in their way.
He reached down and squeezed her ass, the weight of her on top of him giving him a head rush.
Both heads.
“I like this,” he admitted reluctantly.
Lisa snickered. “That’s good, ’cause I’m fairly firmly attached to it.”
“Not your butt, mischief.” He lifted his hand under the blanket and gave her ass cheek a sharp rap, kissing her pouting lips briefly before he explained. “I’m enjoying this. Spending time with you, as chaotic and hit-and-miss as it’s been. Taking our time. Are you having fun?”
She put her elbows against the middle of his chest and rested her chin on her hands, thinking seriously for a moment.
“Yeah. I am.” She leaned in and her voice got quieter and huskier. “Although, I have to admit I’m having an awful lot of very dirty dreams.”
Jeez. “Me too. I keep picturing you in my shower and wondering what the hell I was thinking to leave you alone in there.”
Her eyes brightened. “So it would be mean to tell you I really liked your movable showerhead?”
She lost him for a moment until understanding hit. The mental image of her holding that showerhead with the water directed at her sex sent a lightning bolt down his spine. “Evil creature.”
“I think I have another day off this week.” She stared at his lips. “Are your roommates going to be locked out of the house at some time?”
“It doesn’t matter if they’re there,” he pointed out.
She made a face. “Yeah, no. Sorry, I just can’t get into the idea of screaming during sex knowing that Finn Marlette, who plans on making a play for my sister, is in the next room.”
His brain had gone foggy. “Sorry, I kind of lost track of the conversation when you announced you scream during sex.”
“Doesn’t everybody?” The words were said in a low, sultry tone and he wrapped his hand around the back of her head and brought their lips together just to stop her from talking because he already had enough dirty pictures in his head tormenting him.
One way or another, though, it was very clear. His roommates would be out on Very Important Tasks whatever day Lisa happened to get off next.
If he had to invent things for them to do, so be it.
10
“I left a lasagna for you to pop into the oven. It’s in the fridge, and the directions are on the top.” Lisa edged closer to the door. “If that’s everything?”
Caleb eyed her with curiosity. “In a rush?”
Tamara snickered. Didn’t say anything. Just snickered.
Lisa was about to make some sort of scathing remark when Caleb’s phone went off. He turned his back to answer it, and Lisa stepped closer to her sister. “I do not need a peanut gallery.”
“Just giving back what you gave me,” Tamara pointed out. She squeezed her eyes tight for a moment then stuck out her tongue. “My God. How is it possible that I can have nausea and wicked heartburn? I swear I haven’t had anything to eat that would make me gassy.”
“I hear pregnancy is way better with your second kid,” Lisa said sweetly. “Or your third. Or maybe you could have twins the next time.”
She made sure she was standing far away from her sister when she said it. Taunting a bear would be less stupid, but there were moments that simply called for sisterly love.
Caleb laid a hand on Tamara’s shoulder, his face gone serious. “I’m sorry. Lisa, I have to go. Ashton says one of the trailers broke an axle, and the whole thing is hanging halfway off the bridge down by Black Diamond.”
Oh my God. Any plans of sneaking away and turning Josiah’s house into a pleasure-pit vanished.
Lisa pushed Caleb toward the door. “Go. Go. We’ll figure this out.”
Caleb headed out at a dead run.
They both watched silently through the window, lost in their own thoughts, as he sprinted to his truck and raced away. Silence fell in the room as the sound of the truck’s motor faded.
“How far away is he headed?” Lisa asked.
“Thirty minutes, depending on the roads.” Tamara struggled off the chair. “Don’t worry about me. Go have your day with Josiah. I’ll go back to bed.”
“I wasn’t worried how long it would take for Caleb to get back,” Lisa insisted. “I want to know the truck’s okay. And the driver. And the horses.”
“Of course. I know that. Sorry, I’m just cranky.” Tamara pointed at the door. “Now go. I insist.”
Lisa was torn. It wasn’t as if Tamara couldn’t take care of herself, but there was no reason she had to go today.
She and Josiah had been teasing each other for nearly a month and the texts and phone conversations were getting more interesting, but not only in a sexual way.
It was a different kind of relationship than she’d ever had before.
“Tell you what. I’ll give Josiah a call, and we’ll arrange to go out for lunch, okay?”
Tamara looked as if she was going to get pissed, but she nodded. “Okay. But how about you—” She cut off, the words turning into a low rumble in her chest. “Oh, shit.”
Moisture pooled at her feet.
Lisa’s heart flipped into high gear. “Is that what I think it is?”
Tamara looked up at her. “Call the ambulance. This is way too early for my water to have broken.”
“Caleb—”
“Oh…” Tamara wavered on her feet, and Lisa rushed forward to catch her. Her sister swore like a fishwife before closing her eyes and moaning out a complaint. “I do not need to be throwing-up nauseous right now, thank you, universe.”
“You want to sit or lie down?” Lisa asked, one arm wrapped around her sister, phone clutched in her free hand.
Tamara laid her head on Lisa’s shoulder. “Oh my God, I feel horrible. I just want to stand here.”
Which is how Lisa ended up propping her sister in place and dialing emergency services with one hand.
“We’ll get a team out there as quick as we can,” the woman told her. “Stay on the line. Can you tell me if she’s feeling any contractions?”
Lisa shoved the phone at Tamara. “Sorry, sis. She’s got a bunch of questions and I don’t know how to answer them.”
As Tamara took over that phone, Lisa stole Tamara’s out of her pocket. She shuffled through contacts until she found the number she needed.
The very efficient front desk staff that Lisa had been introduced to answered. “Heart Falls veterinary clinic. How can I help you?”
“Sharon, this is Lisa Coleman. Can you connect me directly to Josiah’s cell phone?”
“Sure. One second.”
When he answered, it was with a touch of hesitation. “Tamara? What’s going on?”
“It’s Lisa—there’s an emergency. Tamara’s on my phone, so I took hers. We have a slight change in date activity. Again.”
“No problem. What’s up?”
“Tamara’s water just broke. Caleb is out on the road, and I just realized that the emergency crew might not be able to get here for a while because—well, never mind that. More importantly, can you come over to the house?”
“I’ll be there in ten.”
“Thanks, Josiah.”
She switched her attention to her sister.
Tamara had just hung up as well, grimacing as she handed Lisa her phone back. “I convinced her it’s not that kind of emergency. I don’t even feel as if I’m in labour. Maybe we should get in the truck and head to Black Diamond.”
Nope. Lisa shook her head vehemently. “I’ve seen too many shows. The instant we get in that vehicle and out on the highway, you’re going to go into full-blown labour, and I am not catching my niece or nephew at the side of the highway in a snowstorm.”
“Good. It’s not snowing.” Tamara pressed one hand to the island top, knuckles going white. “I’m scared,” she admitted softly.
“I know. But we’ll get through this,” Lisa promised, sliding in to offer a hug.
“We will.” Tamara sounded ruthlessly determined to make it true.
They stood for a moment, clasping each other tightly, staying quiet as the stillness in the house grew thicker. Not in a scary way, but peaceful. When they finally took a perfectly synchronized deep breath, gentle laughter followed.
Tamara rubbed a hand over her belly. “Kid, you’ve been an awful lot of work, but I’m okay with that. Just hang in there a little longer.”
Lisa squeezed her shoulders. “Tell me when you want to switch positions. Oh, and we need to decide when to call Caleb.”
Tamara tilted her head toward the kitchen table. “I think I can sit down, and I’d really like to get out of these wet pants. Sorry.”
Of all the things to be worried about. “Honey, depending on how things go, we might be dealing with a whole lot more than a bit of amniotic fluid. For a nurse, you’re far too squeamish.”
“I’m not squeamish about dealing with it myself. I just don’t want to make you deal with it.” Tamara picked up her phone. “I’ll call Caleb. He won’t get the message until he stops, but that way he can decide if he can turn around and come right back or not.”
Lisa threw a towel over the chair before helping Tamara strip off her pants and sit.
She hurried away to grab a washcloth and a warm blanket to cover her sister with instead of messing with pants. It took under three minutes, but obviously something had changed. Tamara had her eyes closed, hands clutching the edges of the chair as she pursed her lips and blew.
“Tamara?”
Her sister’s eyes popped open and she shook her head. “Trust the woman with medical training to have the weirdest pregnancy and delivery in the history of humanity. I swear I am not having contractions, but oh my God, I want to push. I took a feel and I think the kid is crowning.”
A harsh bang struck the back door an instant before it swung open and Josiah stepped in. “House call.”
Tamara glanced at him in confusion before rolling her eyes at Lisa. “Sure. Call in the veterinarian as a baby catcher.”
“I’m just here for moral support,” Josiah insisted, kicking off his boots then marching over. “Hey, Tamara. How’re you doing?”
“Peachy. I want a puke bucket, and I really, really want to push.”
She had Lisa’s hand squeezed in a death grip.
Josiah laid a hand on Lisa’s arm. “You do plan more exciting dates than me,” he muttered. “Catch me up.”
They updated him quickly, including who they’d called, but Tamara was breaking off into clenched teeth and painful noises as she squirmed on the spot. “All modesty is out the window. Please tell me I can push.”
Josiah worked gently as he arranged her at the front edge of her chair, a serious expression on his face as he moved aside the blanket Lisa had draped over her sister’s knees.
His eyes widened. “Well, I guess you’ve managed to not have labour and still get to the baby-arrival part. You’re definitely presenting. Lisa, I dropped a pile of blankets outside the door. Grab them.”
Heart pounding, she was back in under a minute. Josiah pushed aside the chairs and covered the ground before manoeuvering Tamara to a position on the floor.
“This. Is. Not. Going. As planned,” Tamara complained. She tucked her chin down, digging her fingers into Lisa’s forearm.
“Breathe. Breathe,” Lisa ordered.
“You’ve got to slow down,” Josiah warned. He was kneeling in front of her, her free hand resting on his shoulder. “You know this. You can do it.”
Tamara ground her teeth together before panting hard.
For the second time that day, loud banging rang from the back door seconds before it swung open. Icy cold air floated in with the arrival of two people. First came the oversized Fire Chief—the real local emergency backup—Brad Ford.
The second person—
“Karen? What’re you doing?” Lisa demanded.
Tamara jerked her head up, interrupted from her task. “Oh my God. You’re here.”
Brad rushed forward with a medical kit in his hand. “Not Karen. This is Julia. You messing with our baby pool, Tamara?”
Josiah willingly stepped back, squeezing Lisa’s shoulder for a moment as he gave up his position to Brad and…Julia?
Lisa couldn’t stop staring. The woman who had entered the house at Brad’s side—it was like looking into a mirror. She wasn’t identical to Lisa because her hair had a reddish tinge, but the face was one hundred percent Coleman.
She knelt by Tamara, talking the entire time she worked. “Sorry this is our first introduction, but your baby is top of the agenda for the day. I’m Julia Blushing. I’ve just started my practicum here in Heart Falls as an EMT. Brad and I will take good care of you.”
Competent, confident.
“My God, it’s like watching Tamara take care of Tamara,” Lisa muttered.
A low moan escaped her sister. “I’d prefer if she was the one pushing the watermelon out instead of me.”
“Sorry. I have no training on that side of the arena,” Julia offered dryly.
“Me neither, it seems,” Tamara gasped. She stared up at the new woman between grimaces. “Apologies if I throw up on you.”
Both the EMTs chuckled. “It’s okay. We’re wash and wear.”
“I know,” she panted. “Better than seventy percent chance, though, so I’m sorry in advance.”
Josiah leaned in, his face close to Lisa’s. “Like I said, your dates are definitely way more exciting than mine.”
Lisa stared down at the incredible scene in front of her, fingers meshed with Tamara’s as she tried to offer support while a stranger with a Coleman face worked at Brad’s side…
Yeah. Josiah was right.
In the tangled, mixed-up minutes that followed, Josiah was glad he wasn’t going to miss any of it.
While there was stress involved, he knew everyone in the room was competent, far more than him having to be a human baby
catcher. Plus, there was something very special about getting to watch the miracle of birth without being the guide.
It took longer than he’d expected, considering he’d figured the baby was pretty much ready to pop.
But Brad and Julia talked Tamara through breathing exercises and slowed everything down enough to keep the delivery safe. Instead of the room being filled with a sense of panic, a strange peacefulness shifted in.
Heck, Lisa untangled her fingers from her sister’s for long enough to punch up a music mix on her phone.
“Ha.” Tamara managed a smile. “Now you can tell me I told you so for having that ready early.”
“Music always helps,” Julia said.
The door swung open, and Lisa jolted upright. “Caleb.”
Josiah’s friend looked a little wild around the eyes. His gaze went straight to Tamara as he hurried out of his winter gear. “Figured you’d do something to shake up the place. Hey, darlin’.”
Tamara burst into tears. “Oh my God, you’re here.”
“Hey. Deep breaths,” Brad reminded her. “Ditch your boots then get over here, Caleb. Slide in behind your wife and act as a backrest. We’re ready to roll.”
Lisa moved aside for Caleb as he followed Brad’s directions.
An instant later Caleb had Tamara between his legs, resting against his chest, his cheeks pressed to hers. He held on as if he were holding his heart in his arms. “I’ve got you. You can do this.”
Lisa stepped away, tugging Josiah closer to the living room which put them still in the middle of the event, but offered the illusion of privacy. She slipped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest, and when he curled his arms around her, something perfect turned inside her.
There wasn’t time to talk. There wasn’t time to do anything except watch with wonder as new life came into the world.
Fifteen minutes later, a brand-new baby boy was bundled up in a soft cotton blanket, lying in his mama’s arms as she stared at him in awe.
Caleb looked shocked. Happy, but totally blown away. He pressed a kiss to Tamara’s cheek, his arms cradling the two of them, before leaning in to kiss his son. “Hey, Tyler. Thanks for showing up safely.”